Apparatus for the continuous treatment of artificial



July 14, 1959 R. BREPSON APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS TREATMENT OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS Original Fild April 26, 1955 s I mus EJ IJE I I:

74 A ra-w 7-5 2,894,385 Patented July 14, 1959 APPARATUS FOR THE coNTINUoUs-TnEAT- MENT on ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS Roland Brepson, La Vorilte, Rhone, France, assign'orto Soeiete' Chimiotex, a' corporation of Morocco Original application April 26, 1955,. Serial No. 504,039. Diviaied and thisapplication May 2, 1957, Serial No. 656, 30

Claims priority,application France April 30, 1954 3 Claims. (Cl. 68-205) This invention relates to apparatus for thecontinuous treatment of artifical filaments, and more particularly to apparatus of'the type having either two rollers with nonparallel. axes iii which the filaments follow apathin the form of parallel convolutions, or a roller associated with a rodassembly having relatively inclined axes.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this type for use in the treatment of artificial filaments and specifically for the'washing of regenerated cellulose filaments obtained by spinning into baths of concentrated sulphuric acid.

This application is adivision of my co-pending application Serial No. 504,039 filed April 26, 1955 (and now abandoned) for Apparatus for Washing Filaments.

It is known that in this method the filaments contain considerable quantities of concentrated acid which it is diificult to recover.

According to the invention, wash liquid is applied to the filaments at a very low rate of delivery, while the roller and the rod assembly or second roller are more or less inclined in relation to the horizontal and the delivered liquid flows along the roller in the opposite direction to the advance of the convolutions. The roller has a special flange of such form that the first convolutions undergo a detensioning before reaching the cylindrical surface of the roller, which is of smaller diameter than the flange.

In addition, holes are formed in the exposed radial portion of the flange for the rapid discharge of the concentrated acid which accumulates near the rim.

With this apparatus, it is possible to recover the acid with which the filament is impregnated in a very satisfactory yield and with an acid concentration of about 40% or even 50% or more, the reconcentration of which for reuse is relatively simple.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to a specific example, it being understood that it is not limited to this example.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically an embodiment of the invention using a roller and a rod assembly; and

Fig. 2 shows a modification comprising a combination of two rollers with non-parallel axes for the first stage of the washing and a combination of a roller and a rod for the final stage of the washing.

A filament coagulated by a concentrated sulphuric acid bath, for example under the conditions described in French Patent No. 986,847, which has undergone a complete draft, is directed as indicated by the arrow F towards an assembly comprising a roller 1 on a shaft 2, and a rod assembly 3.

In order to ensure sufiicient rigidity and mechanical stability and in order to exert the desired scrubbing action the rod assembly 3 consists of a group of parallel rods. Three such rods are shown in the drawing. The number of rods may be increased to accentuate the effect of the rubbing actions on the penetration.

In the embodiment shown three rods 9, and 11 are mounted parallel to one another between two plates 12 and 13 to form the edges of a regular prism. A pin 14 iscentered'on the plate 13 for the mounting of the assembly and the adjustment of the orientation thereof. The saidpin14 may be extended along the center of the prismv formed by the rods to the other plate 12 in order to: strengthen the assembly which is mounted in fixed position to receive the filaments.

The roller 1 is slightly inclined in the downstream direction to cause the wash liquid to flow along its surface counter to the feed ofthe filaments. The axis of the rod assembly 3 intersects that of the shaft 2 at a point well beyond the roller. The angle of intersection may be modified by appropriate means.

The roller 1 comprisesa flange 4 which may be hollow andwhich has a larger diameter than thebody of the roller. The filament travels over the assembly comprising the roller 1 and the rod assembly 3 in parallel convolutions, the pitch being determined by the angle be tween the axes. On reaching the end of the assembly,

the filament becomes disengaged" and travels towards a windingdevice (not shown) in the direction of the arrow The filament first describes a small number of convolutions on the flange 4,. for example three or four convolutions, and then passes in the de-tensioned state onto the body of the roller 1. The latter must consist of a material resistant to concentrated acid, for example of appropriate syntheticresimon it must be covered by such a material. The rod assembly 3 may consist of glass, or of plastic material reinforced with glass fiber.

A limited quantity of water is fed drop-by-drop through a nozzle 5 onto the last convolutions of filament on the roller 1 and the liquid flows along the inclined surface of the roller 1 becoming progressively enriched with sulphuric acid. The acid may flow through a ring of holes 6 towards the interior of the hollow flange, and thereafter escape into a trough 7, which has a drain pipe 8, through which it is transferred into a reservoir for recovered acid.

The quantity of wash water delivered through the nozzle 5 can readily be regulated with due regard to the quantity of acid entrained by the filament and to the speed thereof, so as to bring the concentration of the recovered solution to 40% or even 50% or more. The solution can readily be concentrated by evaporation by known methods for re-use.

The rod assembly 3, in addition to ensuring an automatic advance of the convolutions of filament in cooperation with the roller 1, exerts multiple mechanical rubbing actions on the surfaces of the filaments. Such rubbing actions facilitate the penetration of the washing liquid, which circulates in a counter current direction and increases the acid pick-up.

The roller 1 may be provided with known means for the circulation of hot or cold fluids for the purpose of temperature regulation. Since the dilution of the acid is strongly exothermic, cooling is usually required.

In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the roller 1 at first increases slightly in a downstream direction extending from the flange 4 to the line AB (Fig. 1), whereafter it decreases and reaches at the downstream and a diameter a few percent smaller than the upstream diameter. This arrangement allows for the initial elongation of the gel during the first de-acidifying phase. This elongation thereafter decreases and the gel consequently contracts during the final washing.

The rod assembly 3 is so oriented that the point at which the axis of the roller is intersected by the shortest straight line joining this axis and the axis of the rod assembly is situated appreciably downstream of the roller 1. The combination of these two arrangements tends to ensure a slightly decreasing pitch of the convolutions, in particular on the second part of the roller 1. The difference in diameter between the upstream and downstream ends may be of the order of and the maximum diameter may be of the order of 2% to 3% greater than the initial diameter. However, these values are not to be regarded as limitative.

In Fig. 2, the first part of the washing is carried out on an assembly of two rollers, while the end of the washing is carried out on an assembly comprising one roller and one rod assembly. One of the rollers may be the same in both stages.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the filament travels to the device in the direction of the arrow F and leaves it in the direction of the arrow F, as in Fig. 1. The first part of the washing takes place as the filament travels in a number of convolutions over the assembly of rollers 15 and 16, the first and second of which may both comprise a first section of larger diameter (15A and 16A) than the following section (15B and 16B) in order to permit contraction of the filament.

The roller 16 is shorter than the roller 15 and after a number of convolutions the filament becomes engaged on an assembly comprising the roller 15 and a rod assembly 17, similar to the assembly 3 of Fig. 1 slightly inclined with respect to the axis of the roller 15.

Wash liquid is fed drop-by-drop by nozzle 5 and the water therefore circulates countercurrent to the filament feed. The advantage of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2 is that, during the first part of the washing, the gel, which is still very plastic, is positively entrained with relaxation through a long path.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for the continuous treatment of filaments by a liquid, comprising a roller having a raised flange at one end with a peripheral surface to receive filaments and guide means extending along and spaced from said roller, said roller and said guide means having relatively inclined axes, said filament being adapted to be fed in advancing convolutions around said roller and said guide means, the first of said convolutions being disposed on said flange whereby de-tensioning occurs as the filament advances from said flange to the roller surface, means for feeding the treating liquid onto the filament at the trailing end of said roller, said roller being inclined in a direction to cause the liquid to flow along the surface thereof to the leading end, said flange having openings in its radial surface to permit said liquid to drain therethrough, said guide means comprising a plurality of spaced parallel rods arranged to contact and rub the filament as the convolutions advance along said guide means.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said roller has a diameter which increases from the leading end to an intermediate point and then decreases toward said trailing end.

3. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, having collecting means'to collect the liquid draining from said roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hartmann Nov. 5, 1935 2,107,451 Oppenlaender Feb. 8, 1938 

